Shrimp distributing machine



March 18, 1952 w o $M|T|l| 2,589,580

SHRIMP DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET l William [:1v 51mm At/ '1 rneys In vent/1r March 18, 1952' w 0, sMlTH 2,589,580

SHRIMP DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 58 5 EE- lhb 2.5

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I i 24 42 r 65 -/5 Inventor 5 I William 115mm A tM may:

Patented Mar. 18, 1952 SHRIMP DISTRIBUTING MACHINE William 0. Smith, Freeport, Tex., assignor of thirty-three per cent to E. R. Bennett, Brazoria County, Tex.

Application December 12, 1947, Serial No. 791,181

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for feeding and distributing shrimp headfirst to an endless conveyer and has particular reference to a machine for accomplishing the aforedescribed functions without bruising or damaging the shrimp.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a machine including an adjustable hopper having agitating and dispensing means from which the shrimp are discharged and whereby the shrimp are received therefrom on a gravity and vibratory conveyer over which the shrimp are conveyed and discharged headforemost onto a further conveyer for the shrimp.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel hopper from which the shrimp may be discharged singularly while being subjected to feeding and agitating means so constructed that the shrimp will not be bruised or damaged thereby.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an inclined table over which the shrimp are conveyed from the hopper by a novel vibratory action for causing the heavy or headed ends of the shrimp to assume foremost positions whereby the shrimp will be properly positioned for subsequent feeding to a shrimp deheader or other machine.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure Us a side elevational view of the shrimp distributing machine;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a portion of the machine taken substantially along a, plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of another portion thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a, vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line !-1 of Figure 4, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one element of the machine.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, a shrimp distributing machine, designated general- 1y l0 and comprising the invention, includes a frame, designated generally ll having an elongated base I2 which is provided adjacent one end thereof with upwardly extending, upwardly converging supporting standards or posts [3 which are disposed in transversely spaced relationship to one another and to the upper, adjacently disposed ends of which is secured a hopper, designated generally 14.

As best seen in Figures 2, 5 and 6, the hopper 14 includes substantially upright end walls l5 and downwardly and inwardly converging side walls IS the lower, adjacent ends of which terminate substantially above the bottom edges of the end walls [5, as clearly illustrated in Figure 6. As seen in Figure 5, a false end wall I! is disposed adjacent one of the end walls l5 and is inclined inwardly and downwardly and is provided with downwardly tapered side edges to fit between the side walls I6 and terminate at approximately the level of said side walls. The false end wall I! is provided with a threaded boss l8 to receive a feed screw 19 therein having an unthreaded outer portion which extends rotatably through an opening 20 in the end wall l5, disposed adjacent to said false end wall H. The feed screw [9 carries collars 2| which are adjustably secured thereto on opposite sides of said end wall 15 to prevent the feed screw from sliding relatively thereto. The feed screw I9 is provided at its outer end and externally of the hopper l4 witha crank 22 by means of which it can be manually rotated for moving the false end wall l'l toward or away from the end wall l5 through which the feed screw [9 extends. An elastic strip of suitable material 23 is fastened at one edge thereof to the upper end of the false end wall I! and has its opposite edge fastened to the adjacent end wall l5 for closing the space therebetween at the top of the hopper and it will be readily apparent that the false end wall I? can be adjusted toward or away from the end wall I5, located remote thereto, for varying the size of the hopper container and combines with said last mentioned end wall l5 and the side walls 16 to define a restricted open bottom or outlet of the hopper Hi, the size of which is varied b adjustment of the false end wall I'I.

A pair of shafts 23 and 24 extend through the hopper l4, beneath and longitudinally of the side walls 16 and are journaled therein in the end walls l5 and are provided on corresponding ends thereof and externally of the hopper It with meshing gears or pinions 25 whereby said shafts '23 and 24 will rotate as'a unit in opposite directions. The shaft 24 carries a roller 26 of circular cross section and which preferably comprises a plurality of disk-shaped sections, as best illustrated in Figure 5, the bore of each of which is suitably secured to the shaft 24 for rotation therewith and whereby said individual diskshaped sections. may yield individually. The shaft 23 carries a roller 21, likewise preferably formed ofsponge rubber and also formed '-of a plurality of sections but which is of substantially square cross section, as seen in Figure 6. The rollers 26 and 21 are disposed adjacent therope'n bottom of the hopper formed by'the side walls l6, false end wall I! and the end'wall l5,-".lo'cated remote thereto, and are spa'ce'd laterally from' one another to provide an opening or outlet therebetween through which -the shrimp are adapted to be dischargedby gravity. As seen in Figure 1, a pulley or sheave 28 is keyed 'to the opposite end of the shaft 23 and is driven by :an endless belt 29 connected to a suitable power source, not shown, in the direction-as 1-indicate'd by the arrow 3!] so =that=the-roller -21 will turn clockwise and :the roller 26 counterclockwise, as 'seen in Figure 6 for discharging "the shrimp through thespace therebetween.

zi 'substantially flat vibratory table 3| is sup- -portedby the frame H below the level of the hopper I4. As best seen in Figure 3,a :pair of :resi-lient standards 32 are secured -to and rise @fromitheiframe'base=12 adjacent'the-end thereof, remote .to-the posts l3 and:are-disposed in later- -ally;spaced relationship :tosupport a rod or shaft -33'theends of which are'connected to the upper portions of said resilient standards 32. The table =3liis provided on its undersideiand adjacent one end thereof with bearings 34 engaging the shaft 33 for ;pivotally supporting said table thereon for verti'cal'rocking movementtoward 'andaway n-om the base 12. The 'table 3l extends upwardlyfatan incline from the shaft-33 toward the posts 13 :and issupported adjacent-its-opposite, upper end byrmeans of-a shaft 35'the 'end portions of which arejournaled in bearings -36 which maybe secured :to'the-posts 1-3 and which is held against sliding --movement therein by adjustable collars'3l. --A--sheave or pulley 38 is keyed 'toth'eshaft 35 adjacent one end thereof -ah'd "has an endless belt 39 trained thereover and "driven from a -suitable power source, --not shown, in the direction as indicated bythe'arrow 4B in Figure 1 for revolving theshaft 35 in-its gearings 36. The shaft '35 is provided with an intermediate crank portion-4 l .as best illustrated in Figures 4 "and 8 which is disposed beneath a' po'rtion of the upper'end-of the table :3! and which "is "connected :thereto by bearings 42 secured to the underside, of said table and -in which-the crank-portion M is journaled. I

The upper surface of th'etable 3| -i'si-substan- "tially covered by a plate, -'designated generally 4-3 and preferably formed ofmetal the side edge iportions of which as indicated 'at 44 are flared *iipwar-dly. 'Said flaredor-guide portions M converge withtheir inner-edges toward one another from the upper toward the lower end of the plate #3 to form an intermediate surface "45 which tapers in width toward "the lower endof the'table 3| and 'theupper, wider end 'of which is 'disposed beneath the open bottom of the hopper 114.

The lower restricted end of the chute portion -'or surfac'e" 45 opensover a:portion'of the upper 'flight 'of a driven endless conveyerr lfi :the upper *fli'ght of which moves :in the direction "as indicated by the arrow 41 in Figure 2 and one end of which conveyer is trained over a drum or pulley 48 which is rotatably supported by the frame base l2 and in a recess 49 thereof.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the hopper M is adapted to be filled in any suitable manner with shrimp and by adjustably positioning the false end .wall I! the size of the hopper may be varied'as well as th discharge opening thereof for varying the rate at which the shrimp will be discharged from the hopper. The shafts 23 and 24 are revolved in opposite directions by the meshing gears when the driven belt 29 is in operation for causing the shrimp to be discharged through the space between said rollers -26-and 21 and the square roller 21 will constantly agitate the shrimp due to the fact that said rollers constitute the hopper bottom and-the rectangular cross sectional shape of the roller 2'! will produce a violent agitation of the shrimp as the two rollers are revolved. The yieldability-of the sponge rubber rollers and the capacity 'of the individual sections thereof to yield individually will prevent the shrimp from being'bruised or otherwise damaged. The shrimp are discharged from the hopper I i onto the upper, wide portionof the chute surface '43 of the vibratory table '31. 'The shaft 'is driven by the driven belt 39 and due to' the -journaling 10f its zeccentric-or crank portion ll inthe bearings :42, the upper end --of the vibratory table 31 -.is

oscillated vertically 'ortoward and'away fromthe hopper M on the shaft33 as 'a'pivot. Due to the fact that the bearings--42 are secured fast to the table-3|, said table also vibrated -in a direction generally longitudinally of the frame H, this movement thereof being accommodated by the resilient posts '32 whichsupport the lower-end of the table and as the shaft 35 is revolvedat a high rate of -speed it will be readily apparent that the oscillatory and reciprocatory vibration of the table 3| will be very rapid "so-as to cause the shrimp, as-indicated at '50 in Figure 2 to move downwardly along the chute portion and to be-guide'd toward the central portion of the table by the inclined side portions 44 so as to be discharged onto the upper flight of the endless conveyer 45. The heads of the shrimp 50 constitute-the heavyends thereof so-that said shrimp will turn in their movement downwardly along the chute surface tfi'until they are moving headfirst and they will thus be dischargedonto the conveyer 25 which may extend to any'suitable means for handling the shrimp such as a deheading machine as disclosed in my prior copending 'application's'erial No. 752,902, filed June -6, 1947, and now Patent No. 2,491,778 granted December 20, 1949, and entitled Machine for deheadingshrimp.

*Various modification'sandchanges are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope'of the invention as hereinafter defined-by'the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shrimp distributing machine, 'an upright hopper adapted to contain shrimp "to be dispensed therefrom, and rotary driven dispensing and agitating means disposed in a horizontal ,plane and forming the hopper bottom and ccmprising a pair of rollers driven in opposite directionsand disposed in spaced, substantially parallel relationship to define a discharge opening therebetween constituting the hopper -outlet, said rollers being formed of yieldablematerialpand at least one of said rollers including a plurality ,bf separate sections disposed for individual yield- :ing movement.

' 2. In a shrimp distributing machine, an upright hopper adapted to contain shrimp to be dispensed therefrom, and rotary driven dispensing and agitating means disposed in a horizontal plane and forming the hopper bottom and comprising a pair of rollers driven in opposite directions and disposed in spaced, substantially parallel relationship to define a discharge opening therebetween, said rollers being formed of REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hadden Jan. 2, 1883 Wright Nov. 15, 1898 Gormley July 9, 1912 Heim Sept. 10, 1918 Parrish et a1. Apr. 1, 1924 Salfisberg Dec. 28, 1937 Weyandt Aug. 29, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Apr. 23, 1914 

